Page 4 - Poland

European Union prepares for foreign disinformation ahead of elections

Voters in the European Union are set to elect lawmakers starting Thursday for the bloc's parliament, in a major democratic exercise that's also likely to be overshadowed by online disinformation. Experts have warned that artificial intelligence could supercharge the spread of fake news that could disrupt the election in the EU and many other countries this year. But the stakes are especially high in Europe, which has been confronting Russian propaganda efforts as Moscow's war with Ukraine drags on. Here's a closer look: WHAT'S HAPPENING? Some 360 million people in 27 nations from Portugal to Finland, Ireland to Cyprus will choose 720 European Parliament lawmakers in an election that runs Thursday to Sunday. In the months leading up to the vote, experts have observed a surge in the quantity and quality of fake news and anti-EU disinformation being peddled in member countries. A big fear is that deceiving voters will be easier than ever, enabled by new AI tools that make it easy t

Polish Prez Duda latest leader to visit Trump as allies eye possible return

Former President Donald Trump met Wednesday in New York with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term. The presumptive Republican nominee hosted Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Duda's push to boost NATO members' defense spending, according to a readout from Trump's campaign. Duda, who has long expressed admiration for Trump, is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has encouraged Washington to provide more aid to Kyiv amid Russian's ongoing invasion. That funding has been held up by Trump allies in Congress. As he arrived, Trump praised the Polish president, saying, He's done a fantastic job and he's my friend. We had four great years together," Trump added. We're behind Poland all the way." Duda is the latest foreign leader to meet with Trump in the weeks since he locked up the Republican nomination. U.S. allies across the world were caugh

Trump to meet Duda as Nato leaders call for additional support for Ukraine

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday in New York. The planned dinner meeting, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter, comes as European leaders prepare for the possibility that Trump might win the November election and return to the White House. Leaders of NATO countries are especially concerned given Trump's long history of critical comments about the key western alliance, even after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine, is a NATO member. Duda, a right-wing populist whose term ends in 2025, has encouraged the United States to send additional funding to Ukraine to combat Russian aggression. Trump has spoken out against such funding, but in a possible shift late last week, the Republican presidential candidate said he may support additional funding if it was in the fo

Poland's parliament considers liberalising country's abortion laws

Poland's parliament is finally holding a long-awaited debate on liberalising the country's strict abortion law. The traditionally Catholic nation has one of the most restrictive laws in Europe but the reality is that many women terminate pregnancies at home with pills mailed from abroad. Lawmakers in the lower house of parliament will consider four different proposals on Thursday. Currently abortion is regulated by a 1993 law, which was heavily influenced by the Catholic church, and further restricted following a 2020 constitutional court ruling preventing abortion in case of fetal abnormalities. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who came to power in December after eight years of a conservative government, has vowed to legalise abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy. He has said the decision is a woman's to make, not that of a priest, a prosecutor or a party official. Many Tusk voters hoped lawmakers would have taken up the matter sooner. But conservatives in Tusk's three-party ...

Local elections in Poland test PM Tusk's new govt after 4 months in power

Voters across Poland are casting ballots in local elections Sunday in the first electoral test for the coalition government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk nearly four months since it took power. Voters will elect mayors as well as members of municipal councils and provincial assemblies, an important exercise in self-governance that is one of the great achievements of the democratic transformation that Poland made when it threw off communism 35 years ago. In all there are nearly 190,000 registered candidates running for local government positions in the central European nation of 38 million people. Runoff votes will take place two weeks later, on April 21, in cases where mayoral candidates do not win at least 50% of the vote in Sunday's first round. Opinion polls released in the days ahead of the vote showed the two largest political formations running neck-and-neck: Tusk's Civic Coalition, an electoral coalition led by his centrist and pro-European Union Civic Platform party, and La

Poland activates aircrafts after Russian cruise missile enters its airspace

It came after Ukrainian officials reported Russia had launched about 20 missiles and seven Shahed attack drones targeting the western Ukrainian region of Lviv, which is near the Polish border

Polish prez pushes Nato to ramp up spending, calls on US to fund Ukraine

President Andrzej Duda used a joint White House visit with his political rival, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, on Tuesday to call on NATO allies to significantly increase defense spending and press a divided Washington to break its impasse over replenishing funds for Ukraine at a critical moment in the war in Europe. Duda wants members of the NATO alliance to raise their spending on defense to three per cent of their GDP as Russia puts its own economy on a war footing and pushes forward with its plans to conquer Ukraine. Poland already spends four per cent of its own economic output on defense, double the current target of two per cent for NATO nations. The Polish leader made the call as he and Tusk visited Washington to mark their country's 25th anniversary of joining the now 32-member transatlantic military alliance. It was a historic step into the West after breaking free from Moscow's sphere of influence after decades of communist rule. Russia's against Ukraine really demonstrated

Poland protests: Many injured amid violent clashes between farmers, police

Poland saw its most violent protest by farmers and supporters yet Wednesday as some participants threw stones at police and tried to push through barriers around parliament, injuring several officers, police said. Police used tear gas and said they detained over a dozen people and prevented the protesters from getting through to the Sejm, the Polish parliament. Farmers are angry over European Union climate policies and food imports from Ukraine that they say threaten their livelihoods. Such protests have occurred across the 27-member EU in recent weeks, but this one was decidedly angrier than earlier demonstrations in the central European nation. Police noted on the social media platform X that its officers are not a party to the ongoing dispute and warned that behavior threatening their safety cannot be taken lightly and requires a firm and decisive response. The deputy agriculture minister, Michal Kolodziejczak, said he didn't believe that real, normal farmers caused a riot in fr

Biden to host Polish prez, prime minister on March 12, Nato anniversary

US President Joe Biden will host Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk for a meeting in Washington on March 12, the 25th anniversary of Poland's joining the NATO Alliance, the White House said Thursday. A statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the leaders will reaffirm their unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's brutal war of conquest. The struggle is taking place across Poland's eastern border, on NATO's eastern flank. The declaration of support has special significant now, when political infighting in US Congress is stalling approval of a USD 60 billion aid package for Kyiv. The meeting will underscore that Washington and Warsaw share an ironclad commitment to the NATO Alliance, which makes us all safer, the statement said, adding that the three leaders will coordinate ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington in July. Poland last year spent some 4% of its GDP on defense and has earmarked some 3.1% of its 2024 GDP for the

Poland's president and new PM remain divided on rule of law despite talks

Poland's president and new prime minister said on Monday they remain divided on the key subject of rule of law in the country, despite one-on-one talks in search of common ground in various areas. Centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with pro-opposition President Andrzej Duda to discuss Poland's security ahead of Tusk's planned visit to Ukraine, but also to identify areas where they can cooperate in the society's interest above their sharp political divisions. In a sign that did not bid well for their future cooperation, both later said that they had found no common ground in the very sensitive area of the rule of law, where Poland's previous government and Duda himself clashed with the European Union. Tusk's government is taking steps to reverse the controversial policies of its predecessors, making new appointments to key offices, wrestling control of state-owned media and even arresting two former government ministers convicted and sentenced by court for abuse of power. Duda

Japan's foreign minister visits Poland to strengthen ties with Nato nation

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with top officials in Poland on Monday to strengthen ties with the NATO nation, which borders Ukraine. Kamikawa conferred with Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in Warsaw and a placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She also was scheduled to meet President Andrzej Duda. She began her visit to Poland on Saturday but interrupted it to make an unannounced visit to Ukraine, where she pledged Japan's continued support for the country as it tries to defend itself against Russia's invasion. Japan announced during her visit that it would contribute USD 37 million to the NATO trust fund to provide Ukraine drone detection systems. In Warsaw, Kamikawa told reporters during a short news briefing that she went to Ukraine to show Japan's solidarity with the country and that Japan was working with Poland to support Kyiv. Both she and Sikorski said at a news conference that Japan and Poland are strong strategic partners who intend to strengthe

Eight years of conservative rule in Poland ends as Donald Tusk becomes PM

Poland's new prime minister, Donald Tusk, and his Cabinet members took office Wednesday after they were sworn in by the president, marking the end of eight tumultuous years of rule by a national conservative party, Law and Justice. The swearing-in of the pro-European Union government, the final step in a transition of power, took place during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw. Tusk, 67, is returning to the prime minister's post after a nine-year spell during which he held a top EU position and was the Polish opposition leader. Leaders and senior officials from around the world, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, congratulated Tusk and said they looked forward to working with him and his team. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz used the Polish language to amplify his congratulatory message to dear Donald Tusk. Donald Tusk wants Poland to be again in the heart of the EU, and that's where her place is, Scholz said. I am

Tusk becomes Poland's prime minister with mission of improving EU ties

Donald Tusk, a leader of a centrist party, returned as Poland's prime minister for the first time in nearly a decade after a vote in parliament on Monday, paving the way for a new pro-European Union government following eight years of stormy national conservative rule. Tusk, a former EU leader who served as European Council president from 2014-2019 and has strong connections in Brussels, is expected to improve Warsaw's standing in the bloc's capital. He was Poland's prime minister from 2007-2014. Tusk's ascension to power came nearly two months after an election which was won by a coalition of parties ranging from left-wing to moderate conservative. The parties ran on separate tickets, but promised to work together under Tusk's leadership to restore democratic standards and improve ties with allies. The change of power is felt as hugely consequential for the 38 million citizens of the Central European nation, where collective anger against the Law and Justice party produced a ...

Poland's voters reject their right-wing govt, but many challenges lie ahead

Poland's voters delivered a clear verdict. After eight years of rule by a right-wing government, they have had enough. While the conservative ruling Law and Justice party won more votes than any other single party in a parliamentary election on Sunday, it lost its majority and will not hold enough seats to govern the country. Three opposition groups who waged an energetic campaign on promises to help restore national unity, rule of law and cooperative ties with the European Union and other allies, are poised to get their turn to steer the Central European nation of 38 million people. But the path ahead will be demanding. Here are five challenges facing the country in its transition. Transition of power Some Poles have voiced concerns that the ruling party, like former President Donald Trump in the United States and supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, might resist the verdict of the voters. Some anxiety was triggered by words uttered Sunday night by party leader

Poland's hard-right party pushes new, less friendly course on Ukraine

Poland's hard-right Confederation party opened its electoral campaign convention as if it were a rock concert, with a singer riding up on a motorcycle, its engine revving, and a pyrotechnic show of flames and sparklers. The party has been growing in popularity, especially among young men fed up with the political parties that have dominated Poland for most of the post-Communist era. Its convention in Katowice on Saturday, billed as its largest ahead of parliamentary elections on October 15, was aimed at energising more voters and at playing down antisemitism and other extreme views among some of its members. Through smoke and fire, Confederation's leaders made their case for lower taxes, less regulation and an anti-European Union and anti-Ukraine foreign policy. Confederation has turned up the heat on the Polish political establishment, riding a wave of support for nationalist conservative parties across Europe. Similar political forces have surged on opposition to widespread ...

US offers Poland rare loan of $2 billion to modernise its military

The Biden administration announced Monday that it is offering a $2 billion loan to Poland, which has been a hub for weapons going into Ukraine, to support the ally's defense modernisation. The State Department said in a statement that Poland is a stalwart ally of the U.S. whose security is vital to the collective defense of NATO 's eastern flank, and that such funding is reserved for Washington's most important security partners. The U.S. government is also providing Warsaw up to $60 million for the cost of the loan in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) which would support urgent procurements of defense articles and services from the United States, the State Department said. The $60 million is a loan subsidy meant to ensure that Warsaw can secure favourable terms for the loan. Poland has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of the country, handing over large numbers of its own tanks, fighter jets and other equipment. It has also been a hub for most of

Poland accuses Germany of meddling for seeking answers on visa scheme

Poland's foreign minister accused Germany of trying to interfere in his country's internal affairs after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Warsaw needs to clarify allegations that Polish consulates in Africa and Asia sold temporary work visas to migrants for thousands of dollars each. Poland's right-wing ruling party, Law and Justice, is facing questions about the alleged scheme ahead of an October 15 national election in which it is seeking a third term in power. Scholz, whose government is under pressure to do more to limit migration to Germany, called on neighbouring Poland on Saturday to provide clarification of what was happening. I don't want people to just be waved through from Poland and only for us to have a discussion about asylum policy afterward, Scholz said in comments reported by the German news agency dpa. Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau retorted late Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, that Scholz's statement violates the principles of the sovereign equality of ...

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Pope blames weapons industry for Russia-Ukraine war, martyrdom of Ukrainian

Pope Francis has labelled the weapons industry as being a key driver of the martyrdom of Ukraine's people in Russia's war, saying even the withholding of weapons now is going to continue their misery. Francis appeared to refer to Poland's recent announcement that it is no longer sending arms to Ukraine when he was asked about the war during brief remarks to reporters while returning home from Marseille, France. Francis acknowledged he was frustrated that the Vatican's diplomatic initiatives hadn't borne much fruit. But he said behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict was also the weapons industry. He described the paradox that was keeping Ukraine a martyred people that at first many countries gave Ukraine weapons and now are taking them away. Francis has long denounced the weapons industry as merchants of death, but he has also asserted the right of countries to defend themselves. I've seen now that some countries are pulling back, and aren't giving weapons, he said. This will start a

Russia strikes cities from east to west Ukraine, killing at least 2

Russian missiles pounded cities across Ukraine early Thursday morning, according to Ukrainian authorities, starting fires, killing at least two people and trapping others under rubble. The early morning missile attack was Russia's largest in over a month, and came a day after reports of sabotage at a Russian military airfield in Chkalovsk near Moscow. It also coincided with the United Nations General Assembly summit in New York, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a speech and presented a Ukrainian peace formula, and came on the International Day of Peace. The same day, Poland said it would stop transferring its own weapons to Ukraine as it works to modernise its own military. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the decision was not related to a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports, nor would it affect weapons transfers through Poland. A dispute about whether Ukrainian grain should be allowed to enter the domestic markets of Poland and other Europe